GM613

Castle Ringwork 850m ENE of Ty'n-y-Coed  

26/01/2009  

Designated  

Vale of Glamorgan  

St. Nicholas and Bonvilston  

307053  

173351  

Defence  

Ringwork  

Medieval  

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument. The monument comprises the remains of a well preserved castle-ringwork, which dates to the early part of the medieval period (c. AD 1066 - 1485). There is no medieval record of the castle, but it was probably built by the de Bonville family. The site is located 850m south-east of the village of Bonvilston on low-lying marshy ground at the confluence of Nant Carfan and a minor tributary. The ringwork is roughly oval in shape on plan, but the north corner is distinctly right-angled. It measures 70m in length north-south by 55m in width transversely. The enclosing bank measures a maximum of 2m in height and stands above a wet ditch, which measures a maximum of 5m in width and 1.5m in depth. The flat internal area measures 51m north-south by 37m transversely and gently slopes to the south. The entrance is probably located on the east side, where a simple gap in the bank is accessed via a causeway across the ditch. The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of medieval settlement, organisation and defence. The site forms an important element within the wider medieval landscape. It is well preserved and retains considerable archaeological potential. There is a strong probability of the presence of evidence relating to chronology, layout, building techniques and functional detail. The area proposed for scheduling comprises the remains described and an area around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.